


Tomorrow

by extasiswings



Series: In This White House [5]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Politics, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Male-Female Friendship, Marriage Proposal, West Wing AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 14:38:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5748202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/extasiswings/pseuds/extasiswings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Where are we going?"</p>
<p>"Just...trust me, okay?"</p>
<p>(And she does. Of course she does)</p>
<p>(Election Night, 2016)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shuofthewind](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuofthewind/gifts).



> Hello, my lovelies. Yesterday I happened to casually mention to shu that I couldn't stop thinking about Darecy proposals in this 'verse, and well, here we are. This is nothing but straight up fluff. Enjoy.

“Yes, of course President Rogers is very grateful to have been voted into a second term,” Darcy says from her makeshift podium. “Senator Pierce was a strong opponent, but as we can all see, in the end, the will of the people won out. What can I say? Democracy in action is a beautiful thing, folks.”

She glances off into the wings and grins when she gets a thumbs-up from Natasha. “Okay. I know none of you really want to listen to me talk right now, so I’ll wrap this up. Without further ado, the man of the hour, your newly re-elected president—Steven Grant Rogers!”

Darcy exits the stage as Steve comes on and loops her arm through Matt’s when she reaches him. He’s been twitchier than usual all night, which she attributed to election stress, but there’s still something about him even now. She pushes those thoughts aside when he turns his head and presses a kiss to her temple before pulling back and raising an eyebrow.

“Democracy in action is a beautiful thing? Aren’t you the one who said earlier, and I quote, ‘gloating is immature, also tacky?’ Because I seem to recall that.”

Darcy laughs. “Obviously, I was only referring to the other side when I said that,” she replies. “When I do it it’s classy as hell. Also, an Alexander Pierce presidency would have actually been the Evil Empire come to life, and his face during his concession speech was glorious to behold, so I’m a little smug right now. Sue me.”

“As long as you can keep a straight face for the cameras,” Matt replies dryly, but his lips are twitching so she knows she has him.

“When do I not?”

“I really wouldn’t be the best judge of that, now would I?” Darcy smacks his shoulder lightly and he ducks his head as he laughs.

When he looks back to her, he unlocks their arms in favor of taking her hand and threading his fingers through hers. His face is soft—still bearing hints of the laughter from the moment before, but there’s something else too that she can’t quite place, something that makes her heart flip and brings a flush to her cheeks—and just like that the mood shifts.

“What?” she asks, biting her lip when he stays quiet. “Matt?”

Matt smiles and it’s her favorite smile of his—small and a little bit secretive—the one that she’s pretty sure means he’s thinking about her, although she’s never gotten him to admit it.

“Come with me for sec,” he says instead of actually responding.

“I have to go back out there when he’s done,” she protests, but there’s no real feeling behind it and his smile is catching.

“His speech is twenty minutes and thirty-six seconds,” Matt replies. “I think you’ll have time.”

“Where are we going?”

“Just…trust me, okay?”

“You’re lucky I love you,” she jokes.

“I sure am.”

It could be sarcastic, but it’s not. It’s quiet and genuine and it makes her blush, just like she always does when he catches her off-guard like this. In response, she knocks her hip against his, but all that really accomplishes is bringing her closer to his side as they walk down the hall.

At first, Darcy isn’t sure where they’re going. Once they’re outside though, it couldn’t be more obvious. It’s the balcony—the same balcony she found him on four years ago, where he kissed her breathless and left her wanting and confused.

Now, she laughs. “You know, if you wanted a repeat of last time, you just had to ask.”

Matt’s smile widens as he glances away from her, the tips of his ears reddening enough that she can tell even though there’s far less light outside than there had been in the hallway. “That wasn’t, um—”

She cuts him off with a kiss anyway because she likes seeing him flustered and cute (it happens so rarely that she always enjoys it when she can) and also because even if it wasn’t his intention, she would certainly like to supplement her memory from four years ago with one that doesn’t end with her going back to the celebrations (and later, to her hotel room) alone.

“You were saying?” Darcy breathes when she pulls away, grinning when he blinks slowly behind his glasses before clearing his throat roughly.

“I—” Matt starts and then cuts himself off with a shake of his head, the hand that isn’t in hers leaping up to his hair as he mutters something under his breath.

“Tick-tock, Matthew. We’re on a schedule here,” she teases.

It really is just a joke, but it seems to have an effect on him anyway. As if a switch has been flicked, he squares his shoulders and clears his throat one more time before beginning again.

"When we were on the campaign trail four years ago, I think it was in Texas or Florida, one of those states where we were all bored out of our minds because we knew there wasn't really that much of a shot at getting anywhere, Rogers was up late one night and he asked me about you."

It’s Darcy’s turn to blink in surprise because that…really wasn’t what she was expecting him to say. "About me?"

"He asked if you knew that I was in love with you,” Matt replies. “And then he asked what I was waiting for, because 'a woman like that isn’t going to walk into your life that often, Murdock.'"

"What did you say?"

"I said I was waiting for you. That I'd always been waiting for you."

Darcy bites her lip and releases his hand in favor of slipping her arms beneath his jacket and looping them around his waist. "You know, that doesn't work very well if I don't know you're waiting for me," she murmurs.

Matt huffs a laugh and presses his lips to her forehead. "Can you honestly say you wouldn't have bolted if I had told you in college? Or in DC when we ran into each other again?"

Darcy considers that. _Bolted_ is a strong word, but at the same time it's not...wholly inaccurate. She hadn't been ready before—that's why she never said anything herself—but the thought that he was _waiting_ is just—

(He hadn't dated much, that was true, but she never thought it was because of her, never would have ever considered something like that)

"I suppose not," she allows. "But the point still stands. You didn't have to—you should have just said—nineteen years is a long time to wait, Matt."

"I didn't mind," he replies. "If it had taken longer, I still wouldn't have minded because I knew it would be worth it. And it was. It is."

His voice is soft and sure and Darcy has absolutely no idea what to say to that. When she doesn’t say anything, he keeps going.

“I would have been happy just being your friend, you know. If we never made it here, that would have been just as good, meant just as much to me. And I would have loved you just the same. Darcy—”

She can’t breathe. God, she can’t _breathe_ because he’s saying all of these things (why is he saying these things? why?) and it’s too much, much too much, and she feels the same, completely and utterly, but she can’t make herself say a word and he’s _still talking_ —

"I have loved you for twenty-one years. And God willing, I will be around to love you for at least twenty-one more."

Jesus. And that sounds like the preface to a question that he cannot possibly be asking her right now (in the twenty minutes before she has to go back in front of the press) because that would be insane. Completely and totally insane.

(Except that he'd brought her out here, to the balcony where he'd kissed her for the first time, and it's Election Night once more and that feels like it matters a whole lot)

"Matt..." He presses two fingers to her lips and they part in surprise, but she quiets.

"Just...let me finish?"

What else can she do but nod?

His fingers leave her lips, only to drag gently along her cheek before he lets his hand fall to his side.

"I love you, Darcy Lewis," Matt says. (Her heart stops). "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you, starting with the next four years."

He pulls a velvet box from his pocket and her breath catches (which is silly because that little speech made it pretty clear what he was doing but she hadn't actually been willing to believe it). The box opens with a small click and before she knows it she's blinking back tears as she reaches out and runs her finger over the ring.

(It's beautiful—three small diamonds clustered in the center of a simple gold band, classic and timeless and absolutely something she would have picked herself—and she has no idea when he would have gotten it because they've been so busy, but god it's perfect and he's perfect and goddamn him, she's crying)

"I could kneel if you'd prefer," he says after a moment, his face looking slightly more unsure than it had a moment ago, probably because she’s just been standing there in silence not knowing what to say.

She laughs wetly—the thought crosses her mind that she’s going to have to fix her makeup before she goes back inside—and her hands come up to brush away the tears on her cheeks.

"No, I think—I think I get the picture."

"Then..." His voice is cautious but hopeful, expectant, and she can’t help biting her lip against a smile because this man, this wonderful idiot of a man, is hers.

Of course, there wouldn’t be any fun in it if she couldn’t tease him at least a little bit more.

“I don’t think I was asked a question,” Darcy points out, and when Matt huffs it’s exasperated and amused and god, she loves him so much.

“Will you marry me?”

She kisses him instead of responding right away. Her arms twine around his neck as her lips move against his, slow and sweet, and she knows she’s still crying but she really doesn’t care. Matt hums into the kiss, the hand not holding the ring box settling on her back to draw her closer, and when he does pull away, it’s accompanied by a slow drag of teeth along her lower lip that makes her shiver.

“Is that a yes?” he asks, and Jesus, that’s hardly a fair question when he’s looking at her like that.

(Not that she would have said no anyway, but still. It’s totally cheating)

Darcy leans up on her toes and kisses him just once more—light and quick—before finally taking the ring box from him...

And promptly snapping it shut.

Matt blinks and his face falls. _Idiot_ , she thinks fondly.

“I can’t go back out there in front of the press with an engagement ring on tonight,” she explains as she presses the box back into his hand. “And if I put this on I’ll never want to take it off.”

“So you’re saying…”

“I’m saying that the second we’re finished tonight, I’m going to find you and you’re going to put that ring on my finger and then I’m definitely going to drag you back to my hotel room, so you can probably tell Foggy now that you won’t be back in yours tonight.”

The smile that takes over his face is brilliant and blazing and okay, yes, this is her new favorite smile, although small and secretive is still a close second.

“I love you,” he breathes.

“You’re an asshole for doing this right now,” Darcy replies. “I’ve been crying really grossly and I know my makeup is running and now I have to go fix that and go do my job instead of kissing you for a million years. Timing. It sucks.”

“You love me anyway,” Matt says, as happy as she’s ever heard him, while he tucks the ring box back into his pocket.

“God help me, I really do.”

(She really, really does)

**Author's Note:**

> I love these nerds.


End file.
